What a Catch, Patrick
by HShoeCrab
Summary: Patrick Stump had always been content with his life, but felt that something was missing. When he sets out to find a band, he finds something else, too. A mysterious man that will change his life forever... Peterick Pete/Patrick Slash!
1. Chapter 1

I looked up from my half-caf mocha latte with extra cream and cinnamon. "I don't need anybody in my life right now!" I screamed at my best friend, Simon, for the fourth time. We were on our weekly coffee shop trip, and he would not stop pestering me about finding a girlfriend.

"And that's why you're always so depressed? I'm telling you, a girlfriend is just what you need."

I was so angry at him. I know I had been down in the dumps, but I knew things would look up soon. I had been honing my drumming skills and had some band auditions lined up.

"All I need right now is my music," I replied.

"Dude, you're the worst drummer ever. Give it up. Besides, you're a way better singer."

As much as I refused to believe it, he was kind of right, but I had always been so embarrassed about my voice.

"Well, I gotta go, Patrick. Have fun living a life of loneliness"

"Thanks, Simon," I said sarcastically.

I got up from my cushioned chair. It breathed a sigh of relief. I should lay off the lucky charms, I thought.

I exited the coffee shop and went to my first band audition of the day.

When I got there, the fog was beginning to lift and the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds. I stepped inside the corner music store and made my way to the back room.

My audition time was 9:40, so I waited patiently outside the room until that time shone on the clock. When it was time, I burst through the door.

The room was large and empty. There was a drum set in the center, with two guitars, a bass, and a microphone surrounding it. All the cords twisted their way to a single, massive amp. There was also a single table near the front. A man with curly brown hair was sitting at the table fumbling through papers. A mysterious man in a purple hoodie with the hood up was seated in a tall chair facing the back wall.

I thought all this was kind of odd, but I had been to weirder auditions.

The man with the curly brown hair introduced himself. "Hey, I'm Joe. Welcome to auditions for our band. Are you here to sing or play the drums?"

"Drums," I replied. "I'm Patrick Stump," I added.

"Well, Patrick, step over to the drum set and show us what you've got."  
I walked over to the drum set and sat on the stool. I picked up the sticks from the snare and started playing a simple rhythm. I threw in some tricks and solos, and in no time, I was jamming.

I got so absorbed in my drumming that I didn't notice how much time had passes until Joe started yelling at the top of his lungs. "Alright! Alright! You've got the job! You can stop now!"

I stopped my voracious drumming, covered in sweat.

"Thanks!"

"Here's our practice schedule," Joe said as he shoved a pink piece of paper in my face with a calendar printed on it.

I was about to leave, but then I wondered again about that man with his hood up facing the wall.

"Um…who is that?" I asked as I pointed toward the hooded stranger.

"Oh, that's Pete. He's our bass player. I really don't know why he's just sitting there like that. I think maybe he's tired. Pete! Say hi to our new drummer!"

Pete got from his chair and turned around. He took his hood down with one hand while holding out the other to shake my hand.

When I saw him, I was shocked. He was the most beautiful person I've ever seen. My eyes scanned him from the top down. I saw his perfectly styled, lustrous, shiny, black hair that topped his gorgeous brown eyes, surrounded in perfectly smudged black eyeliner. My eyes traveled downward to reveal his perfectly angled face and soft lips. Then I looked down at his body. He was wearing a tight purple hoodie that showed off how lean he was, and his skinny jeans were exceptionally tight, showing off his perfect legs.

After I had examined Pete from top to bottom, I reached out and took his hand to shake it. When our hands met, there was a shock sent through both of us. I was shocked at how perfect he was. I wondered where he had been all my life.

When he had gone back to his chair facing the wall, I just stood where I was. I was a little shocked with myself. I had seen true beauty in him, but…he was a guy! What was I thinking? I'm not even gay!

Or am I…

Either way, I liked him as a person, regardless of whether he was a girl or a boy. I just wondered what he liked…

On the first day of band practice, I was so excited to see Pete. I showed up right on time with my favorite pair of drumsticks. I sat down at the drums and noticed that only Joe was there.

Although I didn't want to seem eager, I decided to ask. "Where's Pete?"

"He's always late. He's probably sleeping. He hardly functions before noon. And that's even after his third Monster."

I was a little disappointed that he wasn't there at first, but I told myself that he would show up eventually.

Since I had accepted defeat, I decided to just sit down at the drums. Joe passes me a piece of hand-written sheet music titled, "Switchblades & Infidelity." I started playing the beginning drum rolls and beats, and Joe joined in on the lead guitar.

After a while, I noticed there were words on the page.

"Do we have a singer yet?" I asked Joe.

"No, we're still auditioning, but we haven't found what we're looking for yet. Can you sing?"

"Um…" I started. I still wasn't sure about my voice. "I guess."

"Well, why don't you sing something for me? Since Pete isn't here, I'll make the executive decisions."

"Okay…but what do you want me to sing?"  
"Why don't you sing the song we're working on? Switchblades & Infidelity. I have the vocal sheet music right here."

Joe gave me the music and started playing the beginning guitar rifts. I took a deep, nervous breath and started singing.

"Walking out on the show is walking out on you. And walking out on you, still the best thing that I ever did. Last night I saw my world explode. Last night I saw my world explode. Last night I saw my world explode. Last night I saw my world explode."

I trailed off, unsure of what thought of my voice.

"Oh my god! That was amazing! Dude, forget the drums. We can find any old drummer. You are our new singer!"

"What?" I said. I was shocked. Nobody has ever told me I was a good singer before. They told me that my voice was weird and kind of girly, even though it's technically classified as a tenor.

"Put down those drumsticks and pick up the mic. 1, 2, 3, 4!"

Joe started the guitar up again from the beginning and motioned me toward the microphone stand. I picked up the microphone and started from the beginning.

We were about halfway through the song when the door opened. Through the door burst none other than Pete. I immediately choked up from a combination of excitement, embarrassment, and shock.

"Was that you?" he asked excitedly.

"Um...yeah." I said with my head down, embarrassed. But on the other hand, he was talking to me!

"Wow! You're exactly what we've been looking for! You're in the band!" He patted me on the shoulder. I almost fainted.

"Th-th-thanks a t-ton," I said, stammering. I was making it too obvious that I was completely infatuated. Once he saw that I was freaking out from his very presence, a little smirk formed on the corner of his mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

"Have a nice day, Patrick," Pete said on my way out. I tried to regain my composure and gave him a little wave.

Our practice had been cut short when Joe remembered he had a family errand to run. It had been just on him, because I was just starting to seem obsessive.

On my way home, I kept finding myself thinking about Peter. His eyes, his body, his hair, his style. Sometimes I would scare myself when an image played in my head of him shirtless or something like that.

Just as my fantasy was getting heated, my cell phone rang to snap me out of it. Nothing can snap you out of a trance better than the hamster dance.

"Hello?" I shakily answered the phone.

"Hey Patrick, it's Joe. Um…can I ask you something?" His tone sounded unsure.

"What?" I answered back. I hoped it wasn't what I was thinking it might be.

It was.

"What's going on with how you're acting around Pete? I cut practice short because of it. I just want to know what's going on, and then I'll stay out of it."  
"Well…I'm not really sure. I think it might freak you out."

"Just shoot. I won't think any different of you."

"Well…I guess I sort of like him."

"Really? I had no idea you were gay."  
"Neither did I, to be honest. I'm still not sure I am I've never thought about another man this way, if that makes any sense. I hope you don't think I'm some creepy homo or something."  
"No! Not at all! I hope I didn't come off too strong in asking you that. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. In fact, I was wondering if you could help me with something. Do you have Pete's number?"  
"Yeah. Do you want it?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay, it's 555-1403"

"Thank you so much, Joe! You're the best!"

"I know. I'll see you at the next practice. Bye!"

"Bye."

Now that I had Pete's number, I had absolutely no idea what to do with it. I was too scared to call him.

After several minutes of silent deliberation, I was still unsure. Come on Patrick, I thought, grow some balls and talk to him!

I flipped open my phone and typed the numbers in. I left them on the screen for several minutes before I carefully hit the talk button.

I waited patiently for the multiple rings. I almost choked up when I heard his voice on the other line.

"Hey, it's Pete," came from the other end.

"Hi!" I said eagerly.

"I'm not here right now. Please leave a message and I'll try to get back to you."

Oh. I felt so stupid. I quick hung up the phone before the voicemail kicked in.

I sulked all the way home. When I got to my small apartment, I threw the phone on the couch and plopped down next to it. I closed my eyes and went to my happy place.

The hamster dance interrupted my happy place. I jolted into consciousness and reached for my phone. I looked at the little screen on the front and couldn't believe my eyes.

"Incoming Call From: 555-1403"

"Seriously?!" I screamed at my singing phone.

After a respectable amount of time had passed, I flipped open my phone and pressed my ear to the speaker.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Did you call me earlier?" the angel voice said. "Who is this?"  
"This is Patrick from the band." I answered timidly.

"Oh, hi Patrick. Why'd you call?"  
Shoot. I hadn't thought this one through, yet. Why did I call him?

"Just to say hi to my new band buddy."

What the hell did I just say?

"Um…okay. Who gave you my number?"  
"Joe."

"Of course he did. He is always giving away my number to every guy- um…person, he sees."

"Guy?"  
"Um…yeah. I'm gay."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I know I don't act like it, but I just find guys so much more attractive."

"Well, I have a confession to make."

"Does this have anything to do with you freaking out around me?"

"Um…yeah. I sort of like you. A lot. Did you want to go out with me sometime?"

"Sure. You're super cute."  
"Did you just say that?"  
"What?"

"Sorry. I'm just completely in shock. I think I'm dreaming right now."

"Well, I can assure you that you're not." I could feel the sincerity in his voice.

"Wow…I …thanks. So how does Friday night sound?"

"It sounds wonderful."

"I'll pick you up around seven."

"I can't wait."

"Me neither."  
"Well, see you then. Bye."  
"Bye."

I snapped the phone shut in disbelief. Less than half an hour ago, I was too scared to call Pete, and now I have a date with him!  
As I looked around my tiny apartment, I noticed how quiet it was. To solve this, I let out a satisfying, ear-piercing, slightly girly, scream of delight.


	3. Chapter 3

The week leading up to Friday was the longest one ever. I kept thinking about the date every second of every day. Some people say that the anticipation for something is better than the actual thing, but this was killing me.

I woke up early Friday morning, thinking, I finally made it! I was getting ready for my job at Applebee's when it hit me. I was so excited to be going on a date with _a guy_.

It was a strange feeling. Ever since I laid eyes on Pete, I still had never considered myself to be gay or bi or anything like that. Don't get me wrong, I still liked girls. They were very attractive and I considered myself to be one of those normal guys who thought about sex every eight seconds or something like that. It's like Pete was another girl, only with different anatomy. Except that he wasn't just any old girl. He was someone who I truly did care about.

After the longest day of work of my life, I jumped in the car and sped home as fast as I could. I spent hours getting ready. I carefully chose a vertically striped button-down shirt and my favorite pair of skinny jeans. I put on my favorite trucker hat that said, "That's what she said," then took it off because I was unsure of what Pete would think of it. After deliberating for a while, I gave up and put it on.

After I was done getting ready, I took one last look in the mirror. After I was satisfied with how I looked, I hopped in my car and drove to the address Pete had given me earlier in the week.

I pulled up to an average-sized brick house and checked how I looked in the car mirror for the last time. I took a deep breath and opened the car door. Before I even got to the door of the house, Pete already opened it and stood in the doorway like a god. I gasped when I saw that the level of perfection I had dreamed about had been taken to a whole new level.

Pete was looking better than ever in skin-tight pinstriped skinny jeans, a tight black polo shirt, and a tight red and white graphic hoodie. His style was perfect, I thought. He somehow managed to make his casual look formal while still looking casual at the same time.

When I came face to face with him, all I could choke out was, "Wow…you….I….wow."

Pete let out a little giggle and then said, "So, Patrick, are you ready for the best date of your life?"

"Am I ever."  
"Where are we going?"  
"I know it's so cliché and cheesy, but I want to take you to the county fair."

"I can't wait."

We stood on his porch, silent, for several seconds. His eyes were scanning me from the bottom up. I was extremely nervous, and showed it by fixing my shirt, hair, and hat.

I saw Pete's gaze stop on my hat. This was what I was most nervous about. "That's what she said?" he said. My heart stopped. My life is ruined! He doesn't like it! "What did she say?" he said with a smirk.

I let out a nervous laugh, but Pete calmed the mood with a real laugh. After we were done laughing, I said, "Well, let's get going."

Pete followed me to my Honda Civic and got in the passenger side. I turned the key and we began our drive to our first date.

Pete and I talked the whole way to the county fair. Talking to Pete was so easy and natural. We liked most of the same things, and had creative discussions on what we didn't have in common. Whenever there was an awkward silence, Pete would turn on the radio, and magically, it would be one of our favorite songs.

Pete was so charming, that if he were any other guy, he would've been laying it on pretty thick. But Pete's charm came through so effortlessly that you couldn't help but to smile at whatever he said.

When we pulled up to the fair, it was just starting to get dark, and all the lights had just been turned on. It was like a beautiful night sky, which you don't see much of in the city where we live. All my life, I will love living in Chicago, but I still miss the stars.

When I finally found a parking spot, I quickly got out and ran around to the other side of the car to open Pete's door. As he was getting out, he said, "Oh, you're such a gentleman." My cheeks burned bright from blushing. Pete noticed and flashed a bright, beautiful smile.

We entered the fair and found a ticket booth. I bought us tickets and gave him half.

We spent a while around the midway, trying our luck at the clearly rigged games. Pete tried to win me a stuffed animal by tossing a ball at milk bottles, but that bottom middle one would just not fall down…

There was a strength game where you have to swing a large hammer to hit a bell. Pete tried a couple times, but was running out of luck. I tried the same game, and just barely hit the bell at the top. Although it took a lot of money, I finally won Pete a stuffed animal.

As we were making our way back to the rides, we passed a funnel cake stand. One whiff of those and I had to have one. Pete and I split a funnel cake with strawberries and then went back to the rides.

"What do you want to ride first?" I asked Pete. "Your choice first."

"I'm a thrill seeker, so I would have to say the Zipper"  
I looked up at the oblong, Ferris Wheel-type ride, only with freely rotating cars. I could feel my heart sink in fear.  
"I'm not sure if I'm brave enough…" I said quietly to the ground.

"That's okay. If you get scared, you can hold on to me. I'll be like a teddy bear."

Pete's charm was reassuring and I decided to suck it up and go on the ride with Pete.

We stepped into line and in no time we were right up front. We paid the operator and I hesitantly got in the car.

The car was very small, and I was forced to be extremely close to Pete. Not that I minded. I used it as an excuse to put my arm around him and snuggle up to him. Pete never seemed unsure, but simply put his arm around me, too. I was squealing on the inside.

The ride started up and we started swinging. I held onto Pete tight and closed my eyes. By the end of the ride, I was starting to feel a little sick. When we got up, I could feel my funnel cake making its way back up.

I started freaking out and thrust my hand in front of my mouth. I can't puke! Pete will hate me!

Pete saw that I was struggling with my stomach and ran to pick up an abandoned plastic cup. He handed it to me and took a generous step back.

Then I puked. This wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't missed the cup. Instead, my vomit landed right on Pete's chunky hi-top shoes.

Although my stomach felt better, I felt much worse.

"Pete! I'm so sorry!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Dude! It's okay. I shouldn't have forced you to go on that ride. It's my fault."

I just puked on Pete and he is taking the blame for it? He really is the most sweet, thoughtful guy ever.

Pete was taking his shoes off and heading towards the bathroom. I tried to follow him, but he motioned me to stay. A janitor was running toward me with a cart full of cleaning supplies.

I stood near the pretzel cart and watched the janitor clean up my puke. After he was done, I thanked him and waited for Pete to come back.

After a few minutes, I saw Pete jogging in over the horizon. When I saw him wearing his shoes, I felt a wave of relief.

"Patrick, it's okay. Look, my shoes are clean as new," Pete reassured me.

"I'm so sorry." I said.

"It's okay now. Why don't we just continue our date?"  
The mood immediately lifted and we were feeling back to our original spirits.

"Okay. Thanks for making me feel better."

"What should we ride next? It's your choice now." Pete said.

"I think we should go on the Ferris Wheel," I suggested.

"Sounds romantic," Pete replied.

We walked side by side towards the Ferris Wheel. I held out my hand and Pete took it. His hand was smooth and warm, but not sweaty, like he knew what he was doing. I was immediately embarrassed about my own sweaty hand, but I just hoped he wouldn't notice.

When we got to the Ferris Wheel, we patiently waited in line. After paying the operator, we got in our seats. The bar came down over us and the ride started up. It was nice and slow, which gave us time to talk.

"So, are you enjoying the date so far?" I asked Pete. I tried the "charm" thing, but it wasn't working for me.  
"Yeah. You're a really cool guy, and I'm glad I went on this date."  
"Pete, I have a confession to make." I said suddenly.

"What is it?"  
"You're the first guy I've ever been on a date with. I'm straight."

"Really? Because it seems so natural for you to be going out with me."

"I know! I really care about you. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm really straight, or if this is just you."

"Either way, it doesn't matter. As long as you care about me, that's enough for me."  
"I do care about you! I'm so glad you understand."

Pete's mouth flashed a bright, white smile. I wondered what his soft lips would feel like. Before I knew it, I found myself leaning my lips toward him.

Pete got the message and started leaning in, too. Our lips slowly touched and sent a shockwave through my body.

I tried to dig into all my knowledge of kissing, but no matter what I did, Pete's lips moved like an expert. His tongue eagerly but safely explored my mouth with precision and care. I could feel the attraction in every second we were kissing.

As the ride came to a slow, we slowly pulled apart. I saw Pete lick his lips and flash the same bright smile. I smiled back and we got off the ride.

While we were walking away from the ride, the teenage couple that was seated behind us on the ride passed us. "Fags," the guy snorted.

I started to get worked up, but Pete stopped me. "Save it," he said. "He doesn't know what we have."

For his reassuring words, I embraced Pete in a big bear hug. Pete hugged back, and my world felt whole. I was almost disappointed when he pulled away.

I checked my wait. It was almost 10:00! I know it sounds lame, but to me, that's late.

Pete started showing signs of being tired, too. I suggested heading home, and he didn't hesitate agreeing with me.

On the way home, we were almost silent. But it wasn't awkward. We each had a smile on our face and the happy vibes could be felt throughout the car.

When we pulled up to Pete's house, I ran around to open his door. I walked him to his front porch.

"I had an amazing time, Pete." I told him.

"So did I. You're the best guy I've ever met."  
My cheeks burned with blush, but the night sky covered it up.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for the night." I said.

"Until our next date," Pete added. Excitement built inside me. He wanted another date!

"Until our next date," I answered.

"Well, until then, I'll give you this."

Pete bent down slightly and planted another breathtaking kiss right on my lips. I kissed back as best as I could, but Pete was much better.

After several seconds, Pete pulled away. I was a little disappointed, but I knew that there would be a next time.

"Bye, Pat," Pete whispered.

"Bye, Petey," I whispered back.

I practically skipped back to my car. I was so excited about how our date went. This had been the perfect night, and everything felt right.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day at band practice, Pete greeted me at the door. It was the sweetest thing, because it was morning, and he would've normally been asleep.

"You're up early this morning," I told him.

"Yeah," he said, blushing slightly. "I just wanted to see you."  
"Do you realize how sweet that is?" I said in disbelief.

"Really?" he said, blushing even more.

During band practice, I sang my lungs out with no hesitation. Since Pete said he liked my voice, I figured he should be able to hear it as much as he wanted.

"Your voice was beautiful today," Pete told me after practice.

"Thanks," I said, blushing.

"So…what are you doing tonight?" Pete asked me.

"Nothing. Why?"

"Well, you took me out, and now it's my turn. I want to take you to a concert tonight."  
"Aw, that's awesome. What concert?"

"That's a surprise," he said, teasing.

"Okay."

"I'll pick you up around five."

"See you then."

Pete left the practice room, and I followed. On my way to my car, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey Patrick. It's Simon. Are you up for a coffee run?"

"Sure. See you there."  
I hung up the phone and made my way to our favorite coffee shop.

I ordered my standard half-caf mocha latte with extra cream and cinnamon and sat down at a booth.

Simon appeared in the doorway a few minutes later. He ordered his favorite concoction and sat down across from me.

"So, what have you been up to this week?" I asked him.

"Not much. Work school, that kind of stuff. How did your band audition last week go?"

"Well, I made the band on the drums, then was drafted into singer when they heard me sing."  
"What did I tell you? Well, I'm sure your band will make it big. How's that girlfriend quest coming?"

Uh-oh. I hadn't told Simon anything about Pete. I guess I'll just tell the truth. Or, part of the truth, at least.

"I had a date last night," I answered.

"All right!" Simon said, giving me a high five. "What's her name?"

"Pete," I forced out.

"Pete? That's a weird girl's name."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a girl."

"What? You went on a date with a guy?"  
"Um…yeah."

"Gross, man. I thought I knew you."

"Well, I don't really know if I'm gay," I said, trying to make the conversation better.

"Don't know if you're gay? I'll bet you kissed him, didn't you?"

"Um…yeah…I did."  
"Where is this coming from? I don't even know you. I-uh…"

Simon turned around, grabbed his coffee from the counter, and stormed out.

I didn't know that this would make my best friend since forever so mad. I think that if he were truly my friend, he would understand. Maybe a "bromance" doesn't work if one of the guys is sort of gay.

My mood lifted when I got home and remembered that Pete was taking me to a concert tonight I decided to waste some time getting ready.

First I went through my entire hat collection. I laid out my numerous trucker hats, fedoras, bowler hats, and newsboy caps.

I laid the hats out all around my room. I closed my eyes and stuck my pointer finger out, then spun around until I was dizzy.

When I opened my eyes and the vertigo faded, I found myself pointing at a completely checkered black and white fedora. I placed it on my head and went to the task of putting all my other hats away.

Now that I had chosen the hat I was going to wear, it was time to plan an outfit around it.

I decided to start from the bottom up. I chose low-to Chuck Taylor's and checkered socks to match my hat. To complete the outfit, I chose dark denim skinny jeans and a blood red button-down shirt.

Once I had put on my whole outfit, I heard the buzzer ring. I ran to the door, excited to see Pete. I pressed the button to let him into the building. I waited patiently for him to climb up to the second floor. When I burst through the door, I screamed, "You're here!"

Except that it wasn't Pete. It was a delivery man with a large bouquet of flowers.

"Yeah…I'm here…"

"Sorry. It's just that I was expecting somebody else."

"Uh-huh… So, is there a Patrick Stump at this residence?"  
"That's me!"

"These are for you." He shoved the flowers in my face, turned around, and left.

I checked the tag sticking out of the bouquet. "To: Patrick. I had a great time. From, Pete."

He got me flowers! I felt so special. We had only had one date, and Pete showed that he cared so much that he got me flowers.

As I smelled each individual flower, the buzzer rang again. I ran to let him in, and went back to smelling the flowers.

As a knock started on the door, I opened it. There was Pete in all his glory. I gasped and Pete smiled. I know he had just gotten there, but I had to kiss him!

As I leaned in towards him, Pete stopped me by putting a finger over my mouth. "We'll have plenty of time for that later, trust me," he said. "For now, we should probably get going."

"So…you have to tell me who we're seeing sometime," I told Pete on the drive there.

"Fine. Do you really want to know what concert we're going to?"

"Yes!"  
"Okay. We're going to see Green Day."

"Really? That's awesome!"

"So you don't hate them? That's good. I was so worried you wouldn't like it."

"Absolutely not. I love Green Day!"

When we got to the arena, we waited in line until they opened the doors, and had to wait more to save our general admission spots until the concert started. Usually I would complain, but I had Pete to talk to. I even got a chance to steal a smooch every so often.

After three opening acts, Green Day finally came on. We rocked out to the hits together, and I helped him rock out to the songs only he knew. When Green Day left the stage at the end of the night, I didn't get that empty feeling, because Pete was there to comfort me.

We stayed on the floor until most of the people were gone. A few drunk people lingered, but Pete didn't mind.

Pete leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "I made a promise to you earlier." Then he planted an expert kiss on me. We just stood there in the middle of the cleaning crews who were starting to attack the debris in the area. Although it did not seem that romantic, it was the sweetest, hottest, and best kiss of my life.

When Pete pulled away, I barely noticed that we were both gasping for air. Pete giggled a little and then went in for Round Two.

Pete and I kept kissing for what seemed like an eternity. When we were both exhausted and decided that we were done, we noticed that we were the only ones left in the arena.

After standing there for a few minutes, silent, a security guard poked his head through the door.

"Are you two done yet? We kind of need you out of this area."

"Oh!" Pete and I both said at once. We took each other's hand and quickly walked out of the arena.

When we got back to my place, it was nearly midnight.

"You're the best, Pete!" I told him.

"No, you are!" he answered back.

"Pete, can I ask you something?" I said.

"What is it?"

"I know it's not supposed to happen this fast, but will you be my boyfriend?"

"Your boyfriend…" he trailed off, like he was deep in thought. "Duh!" he screamed at once.

"Aw, Pete! Thanks so much. You don't know how much it means to me!"

"Well, as your boyfriend, this will be my first order of business."

Pete gave me another kiss. We were standing near the door, but we made our way onto the couch. I had never thought that anything could be better than the kiss he had given me after the concert, but somehow, this was much better. I ran my fingers through Pete's hair, trying to get a sense of stability.

After a while, I started getting tired. I slowly pulled away, and Pete didn't fight me.

"You were holding out on me…" I said, teasingly.

"Only my boyfriend gets my special kiss," he replied, perfectly.

"Aw…" was all I could say.

"Oh, wow! Look at the time. I really need to get home.

"Yeah, I need some sleep," I told him.

I watched Pete get up from the couch and gather his stuff. Then my boyfriend waved at me before he went through my door and closed it behind him.

I was so exhausted from the date that I passed out right there on the couch.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day I hung out around the house. I had Sundays off of work, which means I am eternally bored.

I wondered what Pete was doing, and decided to call him.

"Hey boyfriend," Pete answered the phone in a mushy voice.

"Hey," I said back.

"So, what are you up to?"  
"That's why I called. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today at my place. I'll cook you a nice dinner later. I'm just really bored on my day off of work."

"Sure! I don't have anything to do, either."

"Thanks!"

"I'm on my way!"

"Awesome."

The minutes until Pete arrived seemed endless. I wasted the time by getting things ready. I brought out the video games, soda, and snacks, and found the rest of the time looking for a recipe I actually had all the ingredients to.

After a while, the buzzer rang. When Pete got up to my door, I answered with a big hug.

"I'm so glad you came over today," I told him.

"Anything for you."

"So…do you like video games?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I figured that's what we could do first."

"I have the classic NES with Super Mario Brothers."

"Awesome!"

Pete and I spent the morning battling mushrooms and turtles as Mario and Luigi. I fixed us a light lunch and we went back to playing.

As the afternoon went on, I asked Pete what he wanted for dinner.

"Surprise me," he said with a smirk.

As I cooked, Pete and I listened to the radio. We jammed out to the music combining with the sounds of sizzling foods.

After two hours, I set the table. We were having stuffed manicotti. This was probably the most intricate things I've ever cooked, especially in my small kitchen.

When we sat down to eat, I lit some candles and dimmed down the lights. It was pretty romantic. I had outdone myself.

Pete and I enjoyed our dinner and I cleaned up when we were done.

After dinner, Pete grabbed my hand and led me towards the couch. We sat down and he started to run his lips along my neck. I shivered and licked my lips. His hand went up my shirt and started to explore my bare back.

Not wanting to be outdone, I plunged my hand into his shirt and did the same things. His skin was soft and smooth, but I could feel goosebumps rising under my fingertips.

Pete's wandering lips came to rest right on my bottom lip. He pulled on it ever so slightly, and then backed away. My lips came to rest right on his chin. I followed the line downward to his neck, brushing my lips against him lightly. I swerved to the right and rested right on his side.

I took my free hand that wasn't on his back and ran my fingers through his hair. Pete took his free hand and used it to remove my hat. I was instantly self-conscious, but Pete showed no hesitation to run his fingers through my hair.

Pete decided that we were finally ready. He moved his head and went right in to my lips. He took my breath away as he brushed his tongue against my bottom lip and I let him in.

Pete was always so careful in everything he did. He knew that I had certain lines, and he respected that. He never pressured me to go farther than I wanted to go.

Our kiss lasted longer than ever, but was never boring. Excitement sparked in every second, and our endurance was getting better.

After a while, we both somehow agreed on the perfect time to pull away.

As we were sitting there for a few minutes, silent, all I could say was, "Holy crap."

"Yeah. Wow."

I cuddled up to Pete on the couch and turned on the television. I found a movie channel and we started watching Forrest Gump. We weren't so much watching the movie as we were concentrating on each other's presence.

After it was over, Pete said that he needed to go. When he leaned in to say good-bye, he completely threw me for a curveball.

"I love you," Pete whispered.

"Oh my god! I love you too!" I whispered back.


	6. Chapter 6

When Pete left my apartment, the reality finally sunk in. My boyfriend loves me! I had to tell someone! But who? Simon won't talk to me…but I do have my friend Ellie.

I hadn't talked to her in a while, not since we broke up. But she did say we could still be friends.

I located her number in my Contacts and pressed talk.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ellie, it's Patrick,"

"Patrick?"

"Yeah."

"I haven't talked to you in a while. How's life?"

"Great," I said dreamily.

"Is that why you wanted to talk to me?"

"Um…yeah. I know how I've had a hard time moving on, but I think this will make things better."

"Don't tell me you're going to rub your new girlfriend in my face."

"Actually, I'm going to rub my new boyfriend in your face."

"Boyfriend?"

"Yes, you heard correctly. I have a boyfriend, and he told me that he loves me."

"Wow…Patrick. I never saw this coming. Well congratulations."

"Thank you very much."

"So, do I get to meet him?"

"If you want."

"How does Friday night sound? I'll take both of you out for bowling."

"Awesome. I'll call you if Pete can't come."

"Aw, his name's Pete."  
"Yes…"

"It's just so adorable."

"Uh-huh…well, bye Ellie. It was nice talking to you."

"Bye Rick"

After I was done talking to Ellie, I called Pete to see if he could come on Friday.

"Hello?" Pete answered.

"Pete! Are you free this Friday?"

"Yeah, why?"

"My friend Ellie wants to meet you, and she offered us bowling."

"Sweet. I love bowling."

"Great. We'll pick you up around six."

"I can't wait."

"See you then, Pete!"

"Okay. Bye, Patrick."

"Bye Pete!"

The week leading up to Friday went a lot better than the wait the week before. I got to talk to Pete on the phone almost every day, and we were getting really close.

When Friday night rolled around, I had just finished getting ready when Ellie rang my buzzer.

I went downstairs and met her at the car.

"Wow, Patrick. You're looking great as ever."

"That's because you haven't seen Pete yet."

I sat in the passenger seat next to Ellie and we starting driving to Pete's house. I kept going on and on about how cute and special Pete was. I swear I could've seen Ellie roll her eyes a couple times.

When we got to Pete's house, I started to get out of the car. Pete came out and we both sat in the back seat. Ellie was all alone up front, and looked kind of ticked off. I just tried to ignore her as Pete and I cuddled all the way to the bowling alley.

When we got to the bowling alley, I formally introduced Pete to Ellie. She just shook his hand and went back to buying our bowling.

We didn't let Ellie's sour mood ruin our date. Ellie lightened up eventually, too. When we were done with our game, Pete won, Ellie came in second, and I took dead last.

On our way home, Ellie was being all reclusive while she was driving. The cab was eerily quiet, and all three of our breathing was completely in sync.

When Pete left, I went up to the front seat. Ellie had her "I really need to talk to you" face on.

I barely shut the door when she started bawling.

"Ellie! What's wrong??!"

"Nothing…it's- it's just…stupid. I don't even know why I feel this way. Just leave me alone!"

"Oh, Ellie! Please tell me! I hate to see you like this!"

It was true. Ever since I met her, I had never seen her cry. She was the tomboy type who liked to think of herself as "one of the boys." She had never been the sensitive one.

"I can't tell you!" Ellie screamed in my face. She started driving, but was clearly distracted and kept swerving.

"Yes you can!" I said as I carefully put one hand on the wheel, just in case.

Ellie pulled over and shut the car off. She put her head down on the wheel and kept quietly sobbing. She waited until the car was completely dark to say something.

"I guess…I'm…"

"You're what?"

She took a deep breath, opened her mouth, then took another deep breath.

"jealous."

"Look, I know Pete is a great guy, but he's sort of with me."

"Not of you!" she screamed all of the sudden.

"What?"

"I guess, technically, I would be jealous of….Pete…" she said quietly.

"Ellie…."

"I know! We will never be together and yadda yadda yadda…"

"It's not that! It's just that I- um… we- are ancient history…."

"Yeah…I know. It sucks. Mostly because it was my fault. Why did I ever break up with you?"

"Um…I guess the spark was gone and we just decided that we weren't right for each other."

"It's not like one of those 'I never stopped thinking about you!' moments, because I actually did stop thinking about you. I've had plenty of other people in my life since you..."

"And you can't blame me for doing the same thing!"

"I know I should drop this. You're very happy with Pete. I just let my stupid girly emotions get the best of me."

"Look….maybe this will make things better. If for some reason things don't work out with Pete…even though that will never happen…I will give you a chance."

"But you'll be so into guys by then that I won't matter to you!"

"You know that's not true."

"I guess…"

"I'll always be here for you, kiddo." I rumpled Ellie's hair. She looked annoyed.

"Yeah…"

"For now, can you take me home?"

Ellie looked up and realized that we were still on the side of the road in a completely dark car. Only the streetlights illuminated our faces.

There was a moment was interrupted when the car roared to life. Ellie and I awkwardly listened to the radio until she pulled up to my complex.

"Bye Ellie."

"Bye Patrick. Thank you for understanding."

As I entered my dark apartment, I couldn't help but to think about everything that Ellie had told me. I couldn't believe that she still had feelings for me, after all this time. She was always the one who needed to feel like she was in control of the situation, so this must be very confusing for her.

I tried to go to sleep that night with a million things running through my mind. I had never had trouble sleeping before, but tonight I was feeling like an insomniac. I tossed and turned for hours, trying to find a comfortable position.

It was completely silent in my apartment except for the clock on the wall ticking. I jumped when I heard my phone ring. I looked at the alarm clock near my head and was shocked when I saw it read 3:27 am. Who would call me at this hour?

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that the incoming call was from Simon.

"Hello?"

"Oh….Patrick. You answered. I was kind of hoping to be able to leave a message…"

"Do you want me to hang up?"

"No…that seems kind of like the easy way out right now. I should just say what I need to say directly to you."

"So what is it?"

"Look….I just want to say that I've been thinking about how I acted at the coffee shop last week was all wrong. I'm sorry for judging you so harshly. I was surprised. I want to know if you'll accept my apology and we can be friends again."

"Of course, Simon. You're my best bud!"

"Thanks so much. And I guess I'll try to get to know this Pete guy. I don't want my feeling interfering in your relationship."

"You don't know how much that means to me, Simon. You're the best!"

"So…normal time for coffee tom- well…I guess today- morning?"

"Sure. Good night."

Somehow my conversation with Simon relieved the tension in my mind and I was finally able to fall asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day at band practice, I decided to bring Ellie along. Pete said it was okay, and I just wanted to show her that it's okay to just be my friend.

"So what's your band's name?" Ellie asked as we were getting out of the car.

What was our name? I don't think that had ever been established.

"I'm not really sure…"

"How can you not know? That seems kind of dumb."

"Well…I'll ask about it today."

When we walked into the practice room, Pete ambushed me with a giant, slightly painful, smooch. Ellie rolled her eyes, but in a sarcastic way. Joe just mumbled something about taking it outside.

I noticed a new face at practice today. I went up and introduced myself.

"Hey. I'm Patrick. Who are you?"

"I'm Andy. I'm the new drummer."

"Sweet! We have a drummer. I kind of sucked."

"You were the drummer?"

"I tried out as drummer and then I became the singer after they heard me sing."

"Cool."

Andy took the drums and started playing a few riffs. He wasn't just good, he was crazy good. I couldn't believe that they had even settled for me.

Practice went well, it's just that sometimes while I was singing, Pete would goose me or something and I would shriek into the mic. I knew this was his form of affection, but it still was distracting.

During our break, Ellie came over to talk to me.

"Who is the guitar player?"

"That's Joe."

"He's kind of cute."

"Okay…"

"What? You don't agree with me?"

"I really don't think anything of him at all."

"Oh yeah... I have to remember, you're only gay for Pete….not anybody else."

"Exactly…"

"Well…I'm going to talk to him after practice."

"You do that."

Ellie was starting to scare me. I think I should just let her think I'm gay. Maybe it will subside her feelings for me.

After practice, I went up to Joe and asked him about our name.

"Hey Joe, do we have a band name?"

"Actually, we don't. When we book our first show, I'm going to ask for suggestions from the audience. For now, I'm calling us the Joe Trohman Project. Lame, isn't it?"

"It's…okay…"

"Did you have any ideas?"

"Not at all."

"So…who's your friend?"

"That's Ellie. She's going to be our number one fan or something."

"She's kind of cute," Joe said suddenly.

"Yeah…she's my ex."

"Is she available?"

I chuckled quietly when I thought about her mixed feeling for me. Maybe if something happens between her and Joe, it would make things better.

"Yeah, she is." I replied. "In fact, she was saying to me that she kind of liked you."

Ellie would kill me if she knew I had told him that, but since Joe showed interest first, I figured it was okay.

I went back over to Ellie and motioned her towards Joe.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked.

"Go talk to him!" I yelled as I pushed her toward Joe.

"Fine!"

Ellie walked over to Joe and nervously said hi. I left them alone for a few minutes and went over to Pete.

"Hey Pete, what are you doing after practice?" I asked him.

"Nothing. Why?"

"Do you want to come to my favorite coffee shop with me and my friend?"

"Sure. As long as they have something with a double shot," Pete said as he yawned.

I giggled. "Pretty sure they do. Just give me a minute and we'll go."

I saw that Ellie was still talking with Joe. She started getting a piece of paper and a pen out of her purse and was writing down what was undoubtedly her number. After giving Joe the paper, Ellie came skipping towards me.

"He's going to call me!" she half-sung.

"What did I tell you? So, what are you doing now? Do you need a ride home? I'm going to the coffee shop with Pete and Simon."

"I'm going to jump on the bus. I have to get to work. Have fun without me!"

"Okay, bye Ellie."

Now that Ellie was gone, Pete and I both got in our cars and he followed me to the coffee shop.

When we got there, Simon was already waiting. I decided to let go of Pete's hand, to avoid freaking Simon out.

Pete ordered a double-shot vanilla espresso and I ordered my signature. We walked over to Simon and I introduced Pete.

"Simon, this is my boyfriend Pete." I said.

"As weird as this is for me," he started. Then the stuck out his hand and said, "Hello Pete. I'm Simon."

"Nice to meet you," Pete replied.

We all sat down and talked for a while. Simon and Pete discovered that they got along pretty well, which makes sense, considering they both have a lot in common with me.

When Simon had to go, Pete left first. Simon stayed behind an extra second to tell me, "I approve."

It was cheesy, but it still felt really good to hear Simon say that.


	8. Chapter 8

When I left the coffee shop, I had to go get ready for work. My job didn't pay well, and I had always been criticized by my family for skipping college and planning my future around my music career, but I knew that I stood a good shot of making it big. But I wasn't all in it for the money. I just wanted to share my music with people. If there was a way of doing that without becoming famous, trust me, I would do that. I really have no desire for fame whatsoever.

After a sweaty shift as a waiter, I came home to find I had a missed call from Joe. He had even left a message on my voicemail.

"Patrick! It's Joe! Guess what? We got booked! Our first show! It's at The Ditch! Make sure you're free Thursday night. Meet us at our practice room at 5:30 and we'll drive over together!"

This was great! I was really excited but at the same time, I was extremely nervous. Nobody except for the band and Ellie had ever heard my voice. This is something I had always been insecure about, even when I was a kid. I know now that I have nothing to worry about, but the nerves will always be there.

To get ready for our first show, we had practice every night. I thought my voice was going to give out. Pete suggested drinking hot tea with honey.

Thursday night I got off work early and went home to get ready. What do I wear? I wasn't even sure what our band's image was.

After wondering for a while, I decided that we were a little on the edgy side, but not overboard. I chose skinny jeans and a T-shirt, an army style jacket, and a gray trucker hat. I felt like this looks was the perfect mixture of my style and the band's style.

I was relieved when I got to our practice room and found everyone dressed normally. Pete was wearing his signature hoodie and super-tight skinny jeans, Joe was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, and Andy was wearing a T-shirt and cargo shorts.

Andy was starting to break down the drum set and Joe and Pete were working on packing guitars and amps.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Schlep," Joe said as he handed me a bundle of cords and pointed towards the door. It was propped open and I could see a van with the back door open.

I took the cords outside and to the van and loaded them in. Andy came out with a large case.

"Load this while I get the other ones," he said.

I never knew that this much work went into a show. I was so naïve.

I tried lifting the drum, but was surprised at how much it weighed. I didn't want to seem weak in front of the band, so I heaved the giant case into the back of the van with all my might.

No sooner than I had gotten that one into the van, Andy appeared with another case. I lifted it into the back and sat on the edge of the van. I was beginning to feel like the pack mule.

Somehow, we got all the equipment loaded into the van with time to spare. Joe got into the driver's seat and Andy, Pete, and I all squeezed into the back. It felt like we were moving, which is an accurate description, since our practice room was practically empty.

When we got to The Ditch, we unloaded in record time. When it was our turn to go on, we also set up in record time.

As the curtain opened, I saw drunk people dancing and yelling. It may not be glamorous, but it was our fist show.

We started our first song and the crowd started dancing. When I saw that they were enjoying themselves, my confidence boosted and my voice soared above the crowd.

After we had played a couple songs and I was dripping in sweat, Joe took the mic.

"You guys are awesome!" he screamed. The crowd went wild.

"But we need your help! We're looking for suggestions on what we should call ourselves!"

If heard the audience screaming things that ranged from thoughtful to absurd.

"Banana Bread!" somebody called out.

"The Tortured Souls!" screamed another.

This wasn't going too well. Most of the names were awful.

Then I heard a name that I actually kind of liked. Joe looked like he liked it too.

"Fall Out Boy?" he said. "I like it. Meeting!"

Joe, Andy, Pete, and I huddled up on stage.

"Does anybody have an objection to Fall Out Boy?" Joe asked.

Everyone just stood there. I could tell that we liked it.

"Fall Out Boy it is." Joe finished. "Ladies and Gentlemen! We are officially going to be known as Fall Out Boy!"

The crowd started chanting, "Fall Out Boy, Fall Out Boy, Fall Out Boy!"

We started our next song while they were still chanting. The crowd went wild and started screaming even louder.

When we were about halfway through the song, I noticed a familiar face up front. Ellie was here! She came out to see our very first performance! She looked very proud of herself that she was the only one there who sort of knew our songs.

At the end of our performance, Pete decided to do a stage dive. The crowd eagerly caught him and passed him around.

When he got back on stage, we all exited. The crowd kept shouting, "Encore! Encore! Encore!" but we didn't have any more songs to play.

After we had loaded the van, Joe came out of the office with an envelope. He passed each of us $50 out of it and said, "There's a lot more where that came from if we play here again. The manager said that the crowd loves us so much that they want to book us again very soon!"

"Fall Out Boy!" Pete yelled. He put his hand in the middle. We all followed and put our hands on his.

"Fall Out Boy!" we all yelled as we lifted our hands in the air.

We all piled in the van and drove back to our practice room. After we unloaded, Pete came up to me.

"Hey Patrick, can you give me a ride home?" he asked in a sugar-coated voice.

"You don't have your car?" I asked.

"No, I got a ride from Joe, but he can't take me home. Besides, I'd much rather ride with you," he said as he brushed his lips against mine.

I kissed them and then said, "Wouldn't you much rather just come over? What time do you have to be home?"

"My parents want me home by midnight," he replied. I glanced at my watch. It read 8:39 pm.

"We have time."

"Of course we do."

Pete followed me to my car and we went back to my apartment. We fixed some snacks and cuddled up on the couch. We were watching Full House reruns when time got away from us. We both fell asleep on the couch in each other's arms.

I woke up before Pete to find the television on and the morning light pouring in through the window. I didn't even realize it was morning until I saw that Good Morning America was on.

My sudden realization caused me to jump. This caused Pete to wake up.

"What is it?" he said drowsily.

"Pete! You fell asleep! It's morning!"

Pete jolted into being fully alert. "Morning!" he screamed. "Oh shit! I am so dead!"


	9. Chapter 9

Pete still lived with his parents because he couldn't afford his own place. The upside to that was free food and rent, but the downside was that they were very strict. Especially when it came to his curfew. Pete told me that the last time he stayed out past curfew; they took his bass away for two months!

Pete jumped to his feet and ran to grab his shoes. "Bye, Love ya!" he yelled as he ran out the door.

I let him go until I remembered that he didn't have a ride home. I went running down the hall behind him screaming, "Pete! You don't have a car!"

I finally caught up with Pete when we got to the front door.

"Pete, I need to take you home, because you're not running," I tried to say calmly.

"Well, book it then!" he screamed. I could tell Pete was serious about trying not to break the rules.

Pete practically jumped through the window into the car. "Can I drive?" he asked.

"Not if you're going to get a speeding ticket!"

"Trust me, I'm Pete Wentz. I never get caught."

"Oh, fine."

Pete climbed in the driver's seat and ripped the keys out of my hand. He hastily put them in the ignition and almost started driving away before I was in the car.

The entire way to Pete's house, I was paranoid that we were going to get caught. He was driving at least 30 miles per hour more than the speed limit at all times. I just held on to the handle, shut my eyes, and prayed.

Somehow, Pete managed to make it across town without getting caught. He pulled up in the driveway and flew out of the car. As he ran towards the door, I decided that I should go in with him. Hopefully it would help plead his case if his parents knew that he wasn't just out wandering the town all night.

Pete ran into the house to find his parents in the living room. I stayed in the doorway.

"Where have you been?!" his mom screamed.

"You were out way past curfew!" his dad added.

"I'm so sorry! I was at my friend Patrick's house." He pointed towards me, coolly standing in the doorway. "I never meant to stay out past curfew. I accidentally fell asleep over there."

"It feels a little better to know that you were safe, but if still doesn't excuse you being irresponsible and not calling us," his mom said.

"I know, I'm so sorry," Pete said.

"You know…he is a grown adult. We can't keep punishing him like he's a child," his mom started to say.

"As long as he still lives at home, he will follow our rules. He didn't follow the rules, so the proper thing would be to punish him," his dad said. "No band for a month!" he concluded.

"No! This could be our big break! The crowd loves us, and we could make it big!" Pete pleaded.

"I guess you'll just have to make it big in a month, because you're not going anywhere," his mom said.

"Fine. I guess I'm stuck here, then," Pete said. He started walking over to me. "Well, I guess you can go, Patrick. Thanks for the ride home."

I leaned in to kiss him, and he started freaking out and pushing me away.

"Dude!" he whispered in my ear. "My parents don't know anything about us! They don't even know I'm gay! If you mess up now, I'll be grounded for a year!"

"Sorry!" I whispered back.

I left the doorway and went back to my car. I had no idea that Pete's parents didn't know about his relationship with me. If I still lived with my parents, I would have told them by now.

No sooner than I had backed out of the driveway, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Patrick!" screamed the other line.

"Pete?" I questioned.

"My parents didn't take away my phone!" Pete shouted.

"Okay…"

"So I can talk to you all I want."

"That's good. So is it just no band, or is it basically like house arrest?"

"Either way, it doesn't matter. I sneak out of the house all the time and they're none the wiser."

"That's good. So you'll be able to come to band practice on Saturday?"

"I'm not sure if I'd be able to be gone that long, but when we have our next show, I'll be able to sneak out for that."

"I'll talk to Joe. I'm so excited! This band could be our lifesaver!"

"You're telling me. I can barely hold down a job. My parents are constantly screaming at me to get a life."

"Mine are just disappointed that I didn't think about college."

"Mine gave up the college dream once they saw I barely graduated high school."

We chuckled for a moment, then it grew quiet. Pete and I barely spent a moment in silence, but this was very awkward. I didn't like it at all.

"So when will I be able to see you again?" I asked Pete.

"Soon! I promise!" Pete reassured me.

"I hope so…"

"Well, bye Patrick. I love you!"  
"I love you too, Pete…"

I was disappointed about Pete getting in trouble, but I knew that it wouldn't be forever. We still had miles to go in our relationship, and I didn't want to delay that at any cost.

That night I spent my time writing a song. I had never really tried it before, but I found that I was really good at it. The only thing I had trouble with was the lyrics. I never knew that it would be so hard to find rhymes that make sense but don't sound cheesy.

When I was done scraping together some lyrics, I got out my old, dusty acoustic guitar. I started strumming some chords and in no time I had a little melody going. I put the words to the music and came out with a little song.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened in my life. I love you more than all the stars in the sky. I need you right now, you don't even know how much I need you right now."

I couldn't believe that I had written a song so easily. I guess it's true that the best songs come out of raw passion.

I decided that I was going to go to Pete's window and sing the song to him.

When I got to Pete's house, I Parked a black away to avoid getting caught. I got my guitar out and snuck into his backyard.

I then realized that Pete's house is built on a slope. His room seems like it's on the main floor from the inside, but from the backyard, it was two stories up.

There was a convenient tree by his window. I employed my super-spidi skills as I scaled the tree with the guitar on my back.

When I got to one of the top branches, I looked in the window. The curtains were open and I was appalled at what I saw.

Pete was sitting on his bed, in full lip lock with another guy that I could only see the back of his head. I practically fell out of the tree. What was he doing? How long has he been cheating on me?

I decided to let Pete know I was watching him. I took my guitar and used it to tap on his window.

Pete looked up, confused. He was still making out with the other guy. When he saw it was me, he immediately pulled away. His face looked like he had been caught.

I motioned for him to open the window. I was really mad, but I couldn't think of anything else to do but confront him.

"Pete!!! You better tell me what the fuck is going on this instant!!" I screamed.

"Patrick, it's not what it looks like!" he shouted back.

"That's original..."

"Yeah, I guess I really can't make an excuse right now."

"So, who is he? Are you dating him, or just sleeping with him?"

"I'm not dating him! He's a friend…things just got a little heated…"

"But you have a fucking boyfriend!!!" I saw the guy Pete was kissing was standing in the corner, terrified. He was taller and his style was more like Pete than I was. "Who are you and why were you kissing my boyfriend?" I asked him.

He lifted his head from the ground and looked at me with his scared eyes. "I'm Devlin…" he whispered. "I didn't know Pete had a boyfriend. I've been going out with him for about a week…"

"So you are dating him!!" I screamed at Pete.

"I guess I am!" he screamed back.

"Pete, I don't even know what to think of you. You lied to me when you cheated, and then you lied again when you told me you weren't dating him. I hate you! And to think I came here to play you a love song!"

"You were going to play me a love song?" Pete questioned.

"Yes. I wrote it all by myself, too! But I guess you don't deserve it now! I never want to see you again!"

I tried to make a dramatic exit, but that's pretty hard when you're standing on a tree branch. Pete and Devlin just looked at me as I stumbled my way down the tree and stormed away to my car.


	10. Chapter 10

When I got back to my car, I surprised myself when I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. I was still in shock from Pete kissing that scrawny scene kid, and was trying to get the thoughts out of my mind that were telling me they were cute together. I really needed to take some time and think this through.

I was still feeling like crap when I got back to my place, so I decided to call Ellie.

"Hey, Patrick," she answered the phone.

"Hi Ellie. Can you talk?" I said in a monotone voice.

"Well, to be honest, I'm on a date with Joe."

"Oh! Congrats…" I said kind of depressingly.

"What's wrong? I haven't heard you that depressed since- well…a while."

"I caught Pete cheating on me," I spat out.

"What? You two were the perfect couple! I can't believe he cheated!"

"Me neither. I just needed someone to talk to. The worst part is, I'm not really sure if he's sorry."

"That sucks! I'm here if you need me, but I really have to get back to my date…"

"It's fine. Have fun. Bye."

"Bye."

After I hung up, I kind of realized that calling my friends was the wrong idea. I guess they didn't really want to listen to my problems. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't always the one to get heartbroken.

For the next week, I didn't have any contact with Pete. He wasn't at band practice and never called me. I almost called him twice, but decided that if he hadn't called yet, it's not worth it because he doesn't want to talk to me.

When it had been almost two weeks, I was about to give up and move on. Then I got a phone call.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Patrick, it's Pete." Pete answered in a serious tone.

"Pete? You finally got the nerve to call me?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I never should've cheated on you!"  
"Oh boy…"  
"What do you mean by that?"

"It's just that I'm not really in the mood to hear your apology right now. If you were really sorry, you would've called sooner. Or better yet, not do it in the first place."

"Please just listen to me, Patrick! I'm sorry I didn't call! I couldn't face you!"

"Sure." I said sarcastically.

"Really! I made a huge mistake! You have to believe me!"

"We'll see," I said as I hung up the phone. I was so confused as to whether I should forgive Pete or not.

I decided that I would sleep on it and make my decision in the morning.

The next morning we had band practice. I didn't expect Pete to be there, so I was shocked when I walked into the practice room and he was already there.

"Patrick," he whispered.

"What?" I whispered back. At that moment I decided that I was going to give him a chance.

Pete walked over to the piano and pounded out a few chords in a minor key. Then he started singing. Well, not really singing, but more like talking to the music, kind of like Johnny Cash. I couldn't really make out most of the words, but I knew it had something to do with being sorry and only loving me.

Pete's song went on for several minutes. I just stood still the entire time. When he was finished, I noticed I felt warm tears on my face.

I kept still as Pete got up from the piano and walked over to me. He put his arm around me and pressed a kiss to my temple.

"Now do you believe I'm sorry?"

Pete and I stood in silence for an eternity. I tried to say something more than once, but it just came out as a choked squeak. I decided to let Pete know how I felt by leaning my head against him. I then put my arms around him and practically squeezed the life out of him.

"Oh Pete, what am I going to do with you?" I finally said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You break my heart, and then, for some reason, I still love you."

"You do?"

"Absolutely, as long as it never happens again."

"Believe me, it won't. I never knew how precious this was until it was almost gone. I would never do anything to jeopardize it."

Pete took my hand and squeezed it. He led me out on the street to his car and opened the door for me.

"Where are we going?" I asked him once we were inside.

"I'm not sure, but we have to go somewhere. We're young, and _in love_," Pete said.

Pete sped like a madman back to his house. We just barely got inside when his lips caught mine. We kissed voraciously and ravenously as we tried to make our way to the couch. My hand rested gently on his side as he took off my hat.

We intensely explored each other's mouths, drinking in every second we had together.

We were so caught up in the moment that we didn't hear a key click in the doorway and the door swing wide open. We still stayed kissing as Pete's mom dropped her bad and gasped with so much force it seemed like all the air was gone from the room.

"PETE LEWIS KINGSTON WENTZ THE THIRD, ARE YOU KISSING _A GUY?!?!?_"


	11. Chapter 11

Pete and I snapped out of our steamy make-out session faster than a balloon popping. His eyes bugged out as he jumped back on the couch. I just buried my face in my hands.

"Mom! You're home early…" Pete began.

"Yeah, I am. You better explain what's going on before I rip your head off!" his mom hissed.

"Well, um, this is kind of my boyfriend…" Pete spat.

"My baby is GAY???" she shrieked.

"Well-um-yeah-kind-of…." Pete tried to say while his mother bawled on the floor, screaming like a banshee.

"My baby is gay!!!" she kept crying.

"Mom, it's not so bad!! I'm still the same Pete. So what if I like guys?" Pete tried to reason.

"I guess, but it'll still be a while before I truly accept it," she said as she calmed down a little. Then she fixed her eyes on me.

"YOU!" she growled. I took my face out of my hands and peeked up at her. "You're the one who turned my baby gay!"

I didn't really know how to respond, so I just said, "Actually, he kind of turned me gay. Well, bi, I guess."

"I don't care who it was, your-you-just, just get out of my house…"

As soon I got outside, I called a taxi. It took me back to the practice room. The band was just setting up.

"Hey, where's Pete?" Joe asked.

"Um, Pete might not be here. He's kind of in trouble." I didn't elaborate and Joe didn't act like he wanted me to.

After a bass-less practice, I went home, feeling slightly depressed. As I got ready for work, my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, so I answered with uncertainty.

"Um, hello?"  
"Is this Patrick?" a woman's voice answered.

"Yeah…"

"It's Pete's mom."

Oh crap. What does she want?

"Oh…"

"Sorry I came off too strong this morning. I really want to get to know my son's… boyfriend." She almost had to choke out that last word, but I knew she was really trying as hard as she could to accept what was going on between us.

"Oh… okay. Yeah, I can come over for dinner."

"Thank you so much, Patrick."

"Yeah, okay. Bye."

I was so nervous and immediately regretted agreeing to go to dinner with Pete's parents. I barely knew them, and from all the stories I've heard, they don't sound pleasant.

After work, I rushed home to try and make myself presentable, though I realized that Pete's parents had raised an emo kid with tight pants and eyeliner, and would probably settle for anything semi-normal. I put on my spiffiest hat anyway.

As I drove up to Pete's house, I was greeted by a mother looking overly cheery and a dad looking pissed off, and Pete looking like he was being tortured. This was going to be a long night.

"Patrick Stump!" his mom greeted me. "Welcome! Although this isn't the first time you've been here… I'm Dale."

"Nice to meet you…" I mumbled.

"And I'm Pete the second," his dad hissed.

"Nice to meet you, sir," I said while I nervously shook his hand. He gripped mine too-tight and shook it vigorously.

His mom led us all inside to an ornately set table. There were lit candles and plates for at least four courses. I was in way over my head.

Pete grabbed my hand and led me to two chairs. At first I thought it was just a kind gesture, but I knew he needed me for stability when he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "If we stick together, we just might survive."

The salads had just begun to be passed out when the drilling started.

"Where did you first meet Pete?" his father asked gruffly.

"Through Fall Out Boy," I replied.

"What? What the hell is that?"

"Oh, excuse me. The band. I first met him through the band," I tried to save myself.

"When did you decide that you were interested in dating him?" his mom asked.

"I don't know. From the moment we met, I guess. There was just something about him."

"Interesting…" his dad said sarcastically.

"Did he take you out fist or did you take him out?" his mom asked.

"I took Pete out first…"

"Have you fucked him yet?" his dad spat all of the sudden.

I choked on my salad and spent the next several moments coughing uncontrollably and reaching for my water glass.

"Um, that a little personal, but if you must know… No, sir, I have not."  
"Good. Keep it that way," his dad said with a smile.

"I think that's the lasagna!" Pete's mom exclaimed all of the sudden. I don't blame her. I would give anything to be out of this room, too.

When the main course arrived at the table, I was relieved that everybody was concentrating on it instead of asking more questions. I just gripped Pete's hand tightly under the table and reveled in the beautiful silence.

When dessert was served, everything seemed to be going more naturally. Pete tried to break the ice with a joke, and, surprisingly, it worked. By the time the meal was completed, we were all having a semi-normal conversation.

After dinner was over, I got up the courage to ask, "Can Pete come back to my place?"

"Sure, be back by midnight," his mom replied.

Pete flashed a pearly-white smile of appreciation as he grabbed my hand and went back to my car.


	12. Chapter 12Epilogue

Pete could hardly keep his hands off of me as we made the drive back to my place. The second we walked in the door, his lips were all over me. I could hardly contain him enough to talk to him.

"Pete! Slow your roll! I'm all yours!"

"Patrick! Oh, Patrick! I'm yours and you're mine!" Pete whispered hotly between kisses. Then he suddenly stopped and became serious. "Wait, really?"

I pressed my lips to Pete's ear and whispered warmly, "Absolutely."

"Hell yea!" Pete quietly cheered as he began to undo my front zipper. I closed my eyes and knew my life was complete.


End file.
